[CQ-Contest] : Reverse beacon of my own call?

[Rudy Bakalov]

So this would mean that the use of Zone Prop, HamCap, etc., combined with real time feed of sun spot numbers and other similar solar data to assess propagation and determine on which bands to operate would place the operator in the Assisted category?  Seems like quite a stretch of the rules as currently written.


Rudy N2WQ


________________________________
 From: Bob Naumann <W5OV at W5OV.COM>
To: 'Jeff Clarke' <ku8e at bellsouth.net>; cq-contest at contesting.com 
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 7:45 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] : Reverse beacon of my own call?
 

Jeff,

It's really pretty simple.

When you are a "not assisted" single operator, YOU have to do *all* the operating - including assessing propagation and determining of where to operate when, what bands are open, etc.

Using some other system to "assist" you in operating or to help you determine what band to operate on is leveraging that other system to "assist" you in operating.  Pretty clear, isn't it?

As some seem to agree, the CQWW rules specifically preclude the *use* of RBN for single ops.  The rules don't have any exception such as "if and only if you only see what RBN nodes are hearing your own station".

If you were to do this, we all know that this use of RBN will clearly assist you in working other stations more efficiently.

No.  The rules specifically preclude any type of assistance* including such systems.

As far as VHF goes, things there are totally different and it seems that the basic understanding of right and wrong takes a huge turn as you go beyond the 30 MHz barrier.  As you say, comparing VHF rules with HF rules is apples vs. oranges.

Let's focus on HF and ignore VHF rules for the moment.  Should there be a discussion of VHF rules? Sure - but in a different context.

During recent discussions of these rules, I had proposed that there is no justification for Single Ops to use *ANY* amateur radio related Internet resources whatsoever during the contest.  I still feel that way.  

The other side of this discussion is that if people want to use RBN, the just enter the contest as Single Op Assisted!  

The solution is so simple I cannot understand why there is such angst over trying to slip some form of assistance into the "un-assisted" Single Op category.

Most of us remember what single op was like pre-Internet days - it should be no different today.

Just "a boy and his radios".

W5OV




-----Original Message-----
From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Clarke
Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 9:26 PM
To: cq-contest at contesting.com
Subject: [CQ-Contest] : Reverse beacon of my own call?


I find it interesting the CQ states you can’t use this in CQWW as pointed out by W5OV, but in the CQ VHF contest this past weekend many single operator entries commented on 3830 that they used propagation loggers such as http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/map.php to check for band openings. I think most of the information used by those loggers is gathered from either packet clusters or RBN’s ( if on CW)

It appears from the CQ VHF rules this is legal. They define three types of assistance – passive, active and interactive. It appears only interactive – for example using the telephone to arrange a QSO is disallowed.

I realize comparing a VHF to a HF contest is apples vs. oranges but maybe CQ needs to be more consistent in the rules about what makes you assisted. I guess I don’t see how you can gain an advantage by just looking up you own call on the RBN to see how loud you are. It’s really no different then asking someone “how loud is my signal ?” when you are working them on the air. I don’t see that what Bob did is wrong.

Jeff KU8E
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